As God Commands (56 page)

2. Think back to the novel's prologue in which we are catapulted
into Rino's and Cristiano's lives, and consider how much is
revealed about their characters and their way of life. Describe
your emotional response to the characters. How well do the
opening scenes set the tone for the rest of the book?

3. At the heart of the novel lies the deeply complex father-son relationship of Rino and Cristiano Zena, a bond based on the desperate fear that they might be separated. Consider the quotation:
"You and I are hanging by a thread, don't you realize that?
And everyone's trying to break it. But they won't succeed. I'll
always be with you and you'll always be with me" (p. 73). How
true is Rino's assessment of their situation, and why is his relationship with his son so important to him? Discuss the ways in
which Rino shows his love for Cristiano, and talk about how
far his love conforms to traditional standards. Look especially
at the ways in which their relationship is peppered with violence, and consider Cristiano's responses. How does Cristiano
feel about Rino?

4. Rino is the link to the novel's other main characters, Quattro
Formaggio and Danilo Aprea. Why do you think these three
outsiders have formed such a strong friendship? Discuss the
ways in which their friendship works, the ways they support each other and the ways they undermine each other. Is there an
equal balance of power among the friends? Does this balance
change at certain places throughout the narrative? Analyze how
the friendships evolve throughout the course of the novel.

5. While Rino Zena's sheer force of character places him at the
center of the action, the central character is surely his thirteenyear-old son, Cristiano. How far would you agree that this is
Cristiano's coming-of-age story, the end of his childhood? Or
would you argue that his life circumstances have never allowed
him to have a childhood and that the novel's events are just a
continuation of the violence and misery of his life?

6. As the narrative speeds toward the ill-fated bank heist, the novel
takes on the feel of an action movie. Discuss the ways in which
Ammaniti achieves and maintains the edge-of-the-seat pace and
tension. How successful is his technique? How enjoyable did
you find this roller-coaster effect, and are there times when you
would have preferred a slower sense of narrative?

7. While the world described within the novel is grittily realistic,
would you consider As God Commands to be a realist novel?
Look at the ways in which Ammaniti relies upon such conventions as coincidence and cliche-and seems to enjoy doing soand find examples of each. Did you notice authorial comments in
the work? How do you think the author views his characters?

8. It is easy to regard this novel as a modern-day tragedy but it
would also be true to state that there are flashes of humor
throughout. Find examples, and talk about their effect. Which
is your favorite comedic scene? Why do you think Ammaniti is
so eager to inject comedy into his characters' lives?

9. The teenage girls, Fabiana Ponticelli and Esmeralda Guerra,
seem to represent a world far removed from that of Cristiano,
a world of wealth, confidence, and luxury. What are Cristiano's
feelings about this other world? Does he think that he will ever
be able to be a part of it? Consider the irony of the way he
finally enters the world. Examine the parenting (or lack of) that
takes place within the realm of the rich, and compare it to
Rino's tough love-is one better than the other?

10. Following on from the last question discuss the disturbing view
of present-day Italy presented in the novel with its bleak portrayal of high unemployment, lack of education, and racial tension in a rural society. If Fabiana and Esmeralda represent the
richer portion of this society, have they attained happiness? Or
the freedom of which Rino speaks: "Do you know who are the
only people who really have freedom? The rich" (p. 78).

11. Examine the role of women in the novel, and the main characters' relationships with women. Has anyone experienced happiness? Why is Danilo unable to accept that his wife has moved
on in life and love-why can he not? Consider his reasons for
carrying out the bank heist, and discuss the irrationality of his
wishes. Even as he charges drunkenly at the bank is he still
clinging to the hope of winning back Teresa?

12. As the novel spirals further into violence, Quattro Formaggio
evolves from the seemingly harmless Electric Man, a character
who inspires sympathy for his physical and mental shortcomings, into Carrion Man, a truly despicable sexual predator who
regards the rape and murder of a child as "significant" (p. 365).
Were you shocked by the depth of the violence he inflicts on
Fabiana, or were there intimations of it earlier in the narrative?
Discuss the ways in which Quattro Formaggio changes
throughout the novel, and your corresponding emotional
responses. By the end of the novel, with his suicide, were you
able to understand him, or even empathize with him?

13. At one point a minor character comments: "Franco Basaglia.
That fool, with his bill to close the mental hospitals, had ruined
Italy, releasing a host of psychopathic maniacs onto the streets
and into the public hospitals" (p. 323). Use this quote to jumpstart a discussion about the novel's treatment of mental illness.

14. Consider the novel's title, As God Commands, and discuss its
significance. In Italian, the title, Come Dio Comanda, has a
double meaning: both to do something beautifully and to follow
God's rule. Do both meanings fit the novel? How so?

15. Continue with an exploration of the place of God in the novel.
Consider Rino's strength of feeling when he says: "Don't you
dare use God's name to cover up your lies, Cristiano. Don't use
His name. Or I'll kill you" (p. 72). Discuss the irony of this
statement but also the importance, given Rino's character and
the events that take place later in the novel. What is the significance of Quattro Formaggio's crib? How far does he believe
that he is following God's command in killing Fabiana? Is there
a difference for him-or for any of the characters-between
God's will and that of fate? Look at the ways that fate (or God?)
plays a hand in the characters' destinies, and how much they
allow themselves to be manipulated by fate.

16. Despite the poverty and violence of Cristiano's world it is a
world ordered by a strong moral code. Who enforces the morality
of his universe, and what are some of its tenets? Discuss the
ways in which Ammaniti seems to present his characters' consciences as they grapple with choices of right and wrong.

17. As Cristiano views his unconscious father being carried on a
stretcher into an ambulance, his life is irrevocably altered: "The
world changed and his life became more important" (p. 290).
Why does this particular event affect him so, more so even than
seeing Fabiana's disfigured corpse? Why is the image visually
striking?

18. "God comes down hardest on those who are weakest.... Evil
is attracted by the poorest and the weakest" (p. 305). In the
light of the novel, discuss this quotation. How far would you
agree with it, disagree?

19. What does Beppe Trecca, the social worker, represent? Discuss
the deal he makes with God, his reactions to it, and his final
dismissal of it. Is it possible to imagine that his affair with
Ida will cause Ida's husband, Mario Lo Vino, to become
another one of the novel's embittered, disillusioned, and
broken characters?

20. One of Ammaniti's great triumphs in As God Commands is his
ability to create complex characters whose lives fascinate and
intrigue. Firstly, consider the ways in which he is able to do
this. Is it through his use of language, his application of details,
or an authorial closeness with each and every character? Why
do you think he likes to write about such low-lives and deadbeats? Is it possible to dismiss his characters as such, or did
you find yourself caring for them? Discuss your feelings of
empathy for Rino, who could be described as a Nazi skinhead
with an appetite for violence. What about Danilo and his constant pestering of his former wife? And Quattro Formaggio?
And, of course, Cristiano. At Fabiana's funeral he states: "I'm
a monster and I don't deserve forgiveness" (p. 402). Where do
you stand on this?

21. How do you imagine the future for Cristiano? How will the
events of that night affect his life going forward? Do you have
any sense of optimism for him?

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